Self advocacy Proves Tough for Students with Disabilities

In a recent study conducted at Ferris State University, faculty rated how well ADA students were able to request accommodations and work with the faculty and the ADA office to ensure the student received the help they needed to be successful. The professors rated students’ lowest in self-identification, meaning students had difficulty conveying their needs to professors because they didn’t understand what their own needs were or could not convey those needs to their professors.

The study also found low ratings for students’ skills in naming their functional limitations and how they were related to the reasonable accommodation request process.

Fortunately, there are resources available to students that can better equip them. A student who understands and can express their learning style in a clear coherent manner to their professors will greatly enhance their ADA experience and of course their overall college experience. The “Student Lounge” is a terrific resource that will teach students about different types of disabilities, how-to-techniques, and websites that students can refer their professors to that will enable them to learn more about disabilities and reasonable accommodations. The “Faculty Room” provides resources for professors to make classes accessible.